


Distraction

by celeste9



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Awkwardness, Backstory, F/M, First Kiss, Flirting, Pre-Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Teenagers, Vignette
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-19
Updated: 2016-11-19
Packaged: 2018-08-28 11:19:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8443867
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/celeste9/pseuds/celeste9
Summary: “And do you think about me, too? In a good way? I’m not a Jedi; I can’t cheat like you can. You’ll have to tell me.”





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [igrockspock](https://archiveofourown.org/users/igrockspock/gifts).



> This is not the epic, awkward teenage romance with tragic ending that I wanted to write for you when I saw this amazing crack ship and your letter, but there is awkward teenage flirting!

Jess smiled when she saw the battered old T-16 skyhopper come in to land. The pilot was coming in a touch too fast before they pulled up, like they were showing off a bit. She dropped her Harris wrench into her toolkit and wiped her hands on a towel, going over to the ship as the cockpit opened.

Ben was scanning the area as he hopped out, as though he were looking for someone, and Jess felt her heart make a tiny flutter that luckily no one would ever know about but her. He was smoothing his hands through his hair and then he saw her. His pale skin flushed like he’d been caught doing something embarrassing but his lips tilted into the sweet, shy smile Jess was so fond of.

“Still no _Falcon_?” Jess asked as he approached, hand cocked on her hip.

“Dad doesn’t let anyone take the _Falcon_ out without him unless it’s Chewie or Uncle Luke. Maybe Lando if he’s in a really good mood. And Lando hasn’t beaten him at any card games lately.” Ben’s smile twisted into something a bit more wry.

“He wouldn’t even let you have it so you can impress a girl?”

Ben’s blush deepened. “That conversation would be far too humiliating. For both of us.”

Jess laughed. “Can’t you use the Force or something? Make him think you’re Chewie or Luke?”

“I don’t think the Force works like that.”

“Well, what good is it then?”

“You’re disappointed because I can’t trick my dad into thinking I’m a Wookiee so I can steal his ship?”

“I’m not saying you _should_ , but it’d be pretty cool if you could.”

“I might be able to convince him into thinking that letting me fly the _Falcon_ is a good idea,” Ben said before biting his lip and back-tracking. “I mean, not that I would. Obviously. Uncle Luke says the mind is sacred and I shouldn’t do things like that unless absolutely necessary.”

“And stealing the _Falcon_ for a joyride probably doesn’t qualify, huh? Well, sounds reasonable.” Jess paused for a moment, thinking. “But you really could? You could make someone do exactly what you want them to do?”

Ben shrugged. “I guess. I’m pretty good at it. I mean, I’m not as good as Uncle Luke, not yet, anyway. But yeah. I could. Not that I would? I wouldn’t do that to you.” He was flushing again, holding her gaze fervently.

Jess smiled to reassure him. “I know. Besides, I don’t think you’d find it so easy to tell me what to do.”

He made a small huffing sound, not quite a laugh. “I think that’s probably true. Anyway, Dad’s got the _Falcon_. He’s off with his racers.”

Ben’s expression had turned vaguely pensive. Jess knew his relationship with his father was… complicated. Maybe she shouldn’t have pushed.

Changing the subject, she said, “Nice jacket.”

“It’s new,” Ben said, preening a little.

That was obviously a lie. Jess knew what a new jacket looked like and that was not it. Not to mention that she was pretty sure she’d seen holos of Han Solo wearing it.

But Jess only said, “I like it.” She did, and besides, it was cute that Ben was wearing his dad’s old jacket to meet her. She knew that whatever messiness there was between Ben and his father, Ben still looked up to him. Maybe he thought the jacket would give him a bit of the Han Solo swagger. 

Personally Jess liked Ben the way he was, an endearing mix of confidence and awkwardness, but she figured there was no need to actually say that.

Embarrassing.

“You’re thinking about me,” he said, sounding surprised.

“You’re standing right in front of me, of course I’m thinking about you,” Jess said, flustered. “Wait. How do you know? Can you hear that? Are you in my head?” She took a step backwards, as if that would help.

Ben reached for her, stopping before he actually touched, his hand hovering in the air between them. “No! I would never… Jess, I’m sorry, it’s just… You’re thinking about me so loudly. I can’t help it.”

Jess wondered if she blushed as deeply as Ben did. It felt like she must. “So you just hear people? In your head? All the time?”

“Yeah. Well, not all the time. I’ve gotten better at keeping out unless they’re being very loud. Or there’s too many people around. Crowds are worse. So are extreme emotions, when people are… are grieving, or something.”

“That doesn’t sound very nice, actually.” Jess had thought being a Jedi must be terribly exciting, lightsabers and mind tricks, but it must be difficult, too. She didn’t think she would want to hear strangers in her head all the time.

“Sometimes it’s… overwhelming,” Ben said, forthright in his openness and honesty. “Uncle Luke says it’s important to have an anchor, someone to hold onto, someone who helps you focus and remember who you are. Someone you love. He says my mother’s always been that person for him.”

“Couldn’t she be for you, too?”

Ben averted his eyes. “I’d rather rely on myself. I just need to get stronger; then I won’t need anyone.”

“Sounds lonely.”

“Maybe. I just want to be the best Jedi I can. I want to learn everything, be able to do anything. Then no one will be able to…” He stopped, his gaze flickering towards Jess again. “My family is strong in the Force. I think I should uphold their legacy, that’s all.”

 _You shouldn’t have to do it by yourself,_ Jess thought, but she didn’t think she could say it out loud. She wondered if she mattered enough for Ben to care about her while he was off becoming the powerful Jedi he wanted to be; she wondered if she was only a fun distraction. 

Maybe she wasn’t even that.

“What could you see?” she asked. “You said I was thinking very loudly. So what was I thinking?”

“Just, uh, good things. You were thinking about me in a good way. That’s all I could tell, really.”

Moving a step forward again, Jess said, “And do you think about me, too? In a good way? I’m not a Jedi; I can’t cheat like you can. You’ll have to tell me.”

“Um,” Ben said, running his hand through his hair. “Yes? The answer is yes. A lot. Definitely in a good way.”

Jess’ heart felt like it was beating so forcefully it might burst through her chest. “Were you going to do something about that?”

“What did you want me to do about it?”

“Stars,” Jess said, and kissed him. 

She had to go up on her toes a bit because he was so tall, her fingers sliding around the back of his neck. Ben stood there frozen for a few seconds before he seemed to shake out of his surprise, returning the kiss sweetly. 

Jess forgot that they were in a crowded spaceport where anyone could see them. That didn’t seem to matter when she could feel the soft press of Ben’s lips, the silkiness of his hair beneath her fingertips.

She felt a flutter of nerves in her stomach as she pulled back, worrying her lip. To cover it she said, “You waited too damn long, Ben Solo. Can’t expect a girl to sit around forever.”

Ben was flushed bright red but his shy smile had returned. “Thought you seemed like the kind of girl who might like to be in charge.”

“Well, maybe,” Jess said, grinning. “But a little romancing is nice sometimes, too.”

“I’ll remember that,” Ben said, kissing her again, a brief brush of lips. “Also, if we’re on the topic of things we like? I prefer Ben Organa. So you know.”

Jess could only laugh. “Okay, Ben Organa, whatever you say.”

He scratched the back of his head. “So, uh, did you want… I mean, we could eat? If you eat? Obviously you eat, but what I mean is--”

Rescuing him, Jess said, “Yes, I would love to have lunch with you.”

“Great,” Ben said, his expression settling into pleased relief.

“And maybe after I can kick your ass out of the sky? Your old skyhopper’s got nothing on my ride.”

“Is that a challenge? Because I’ve got Jedi reflexes, remember.”

“Even cheating there’s no way you could beat me.”

“Oh, so the Force is cheating now? Let me go tell Uncle Luke; he blew up the Death Star through pure trickery.”

“Well, obviously Luke Skywalker’s an exception. He would never cheat.”

Ben laughed, a warm cheerful sound. Jess slipped her hand in his as they walked out of the spaceport, smiling at the shy surprise with which he looked at her.

Jess watched him and couldn’t feel anything but fondness. She didn’t know if she was anything more than a temporary distraction but she thought she might like to find out.


End file.
